This disclosure relates to a method and system for dip picking and zonation of highly deviated well images.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present techniques, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as an admission of any kind.
Wells are generally drilled into a surface (land-based) location or ocean bed to recover natural deposits of oil and natural gas, as well as other natural resources that are trapped in geological formations. A well may be drilled using a drill bit attached to the lower end of a “drill string,” which includes a drill-pipe, a bottom hole assembly, and other components that facilitate turning the drill bit to create a borehole. For oil and gas exploration and/or monitoring, it may be desirable to obtain information about the subsurface formations that are penetrated by a borehole for analysis. More specifically, this may include obtaining downhole measurements and generating images that visualize characteristics of the subsurface formations.
For example, a borehole image may exhibit structural features, such as structural boundaries and faults. In some instances, the boundaries may be planar and are visible on a borehole image where they cross the borehole. Dip picking may refer to a process of determining the orientation of these boundaries based on visual information included in the borehole image. The orientation may include an inclination and an azimuth and may be referred to as “dip” herein. As may be appreciated, the boundaries and faults may separate the reservoir into depositional layers, structural units, and other geological volumes that can be further characterized. Zoning or zonation may refer to a process of dividing a borehole image into multiple areas of interest, where each area share similar properties (e.g., lithology, rock type, background resistivity, texture, etc.). It may be desirable to obtain accurate results from dip picking and zonation for enhanced geological interpretation.